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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Saffron Otter

Rugby World Cup 2019 - England fixtures and TV schedule and times

Rugby's biggest sporting event kicks off on Friday in Japan - for the very first time.

Players from all over the world dream of taking part in the Rugby World Cup and now it's back again after another four years.

The 2019 competition sees 20 countries compete to be crowned champions of the cup's ninth edition.

Held over the course of seven weeks, it kicks off on Friday, September 20 and ends on Saturday, November 2.

The teams will play at 12 venues across the whole of Japan, with a total of 48 matches.

Thankfully, the majority of England matches take place across the weekend, making it easier to watch for those with full-time jobs.

Here's everything you need to know about watching the England fixtures:

Outside the International Stadium Yokohama (Getty Images)

How does the Rugby World Cup work?

The opening stage of the competition sees 20 teams battle their way out of four pools - A, B, C and D.

Each pool has five teams, who will play against each other before only two teams can move on to the next rounds.

After that, teams will compete in the quarter-final, semi-final, and the final.

Who is England in a pool with?

England will play against two of the big teams - France and Argentina, along with Tonga and USA.

What channel can you watch the matches on?

ITV has the exclusive broadcasting rights for the next two World Cups - therefore you'll be able to watch the 2019 Cup in Japan as well as the 2023 Cup in France for free.

Luckily, all England matches are aired on ITV, but 10 matches for other countries will be shown on ITV4.

The England team in training ahead of a big next few weeks (Getty Images)

England fixture list and kick off times

Sunday, September 22

England vs Tonga at the Sapporo Dome - 11.15am BST (ITV)

Thursday, September 26

England vs USA at the Kobe Misaki Stadium - 11.45am BST (ITV)

Saturday, October 5

England vs Argentina at the Tokyo Stadium - 9am BST (ITV)

Saturday, October 12

England vs France at the International Stadium Yokohama at 9.15am BST (ITV)

Key dates

The Quarter-Finals are on October 19-20.

The Semi-Finals are on October 26-27.

The Bronze Final is on November 1.

The Final is on November 2.

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